PENALTY hero Jason Brown reckons Aberdeen have upped the bar in recent weeks and he wants to make sure the season ends on a high with a top six place and the Scottish Cup.

The Welsh international was the weekend hero as his spot-kick save against Motherwell helped the Dons set-up a semi-final clash with SPL rivals Hibs.

Aberdeen still look a long shot as they remain six points behind sixth-placed Hearts, although Craig Brown’s men have a game-in-hand.

Brown knows it will take an almighty effort but he is confident it can be done if the Dons can keep their unbeaten run of 2012 going.

"The top six is not over,” he insisted."I am a bit of a statto and I have looked at past years and it will take an average of 40-42 points.

"We need to be looking at winning our last four games - or at least remaining unbeaten until the split.It would be great to get there but to put it in perspective, we were bottom of the league at Christmas.

Jason Brown reckons Aberdeen have upped the bar in recent weeks

"If we do not get into the top six it will not be a disaster because we would have bitten the hand off for 11th back then, just to be safe.If we don't get top six we have to make sure we finish as high as we can.

"If we finish higher than last year it will be progress, especially if we can get to the final.”

The former Blackburn keeper, who heads back to Fir Park again this weekend on league duty, reckons the Aberdeen players would be robbing their fans if they were to put away the tools and pin all their hopes on a Hampden glory run.

He also doesn’t think Craig Brown’s team are too far away from the Old Firm.

"It is not a case of sacrificing the league for the cup,” Brown admitted.That would be disrespectful to the fans who pay their money and to the other clubs.

"I would be disappointed personally if that was the case.

"We have got to look to keep this run going and win every game.It is not a case of thinking we just have a semi-final to look forward to.Hampden is a nice little reward on the back burner.but we have to maintain this run in the league.